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Monday, 12 June 2017

ARMY PROBES SELF OVER CORRUPTION

The
Swaziland Army is to investigate itself amid accusations of corruption in
recruitment.

It is
alleged that officers of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) – as the
army is officially known – took bribes from recruits.

The
latest round of recruitment has sparked widespread outcry and more than 40 recruits
were expelled from the Mbuluzi Infantry School. It was said
recruits had failed to prove that they used the legal route to be recruited
into the military.

Among allegations
circulating in newspapers in the kingdom is that top army officers were bribed.
Families are reported to have sold livestock and other belongings to get their
men in uniform.

TheSwazi News reported in April 2017 that corrupt practices had been
known about for several years, but this was the first time that recruits had
been expelled.

The Times of Swaziland reported at the same time that recruits were shown the exit
door from the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) Infantry School in
Mbuluzi.

The Swazi Observer reported the army said action was taken following
complaints from throughout Swaziland ‘about abnormalities which happened during
the recruitment exercises’.

According to a report in
the Swazi Observer on Monday (5 June
2017), eight ‘top recruiting officials’ face dismissal from the force. It said
they had been summoned to headquarters to answer allegations of bribery. One
allegation is that they recruited their own relatives.

The newspaper reported, ‘Some are
said to have admitted bending the rules while some flatly denied [it].